Drive to each others places and don't drink. You don't need alcohol to have a good time with friends. Hang out online. Meet people who live in walking distance.

None of these options is perfect; we'd rather be able to meet exactly whom we want, and do exactly what we want when together. But the topic is socialising, not socialising in exactly the way we prefer.

Most of my friends don't live in the same city as me, so it's not easy for me either. But by one method and another I still have social contact.

What's your monthly streaming bill? (Hoping you say $0 because YAAARRRRR!)

I'm not trying to presuppose everyone's lives or say they have to be a certain way. But we can do things to be with people that doesn't cost money or even involve drinking. I realize that I live in a very walkable, highly mass-transit-friendly, extremely accessible city. BUT, spending time with friends, playing games, riding a bike, walking, etc., are all ways to stop streaming and make changes.

I get it. You're trying to unseat my statement as insensitive to your plight. I meant it in good faith, though. There was a time before smart phones and limitless streaming. We hung out, we played music, we read books, we drew, we painted, we lived. We can still do it.

It's hard. I'm trying. I try to draw every day. I spend time writing for a D&D game I DM for. I write music and try to get through the dumb darkness we're living in. Streaming comes at the end of the night when I am going to bed.

Good luck. I wish more social life and socialism for everyone. :)

Sounds like a very car centric lifestyle. I moved to a bike friendly city and my outings cost much less. A six pack of beer from the store will last me two nights out. A night out might be biking to a friend's place for board game night or doing a group bike ride with stops on the way. Night out costs like 5usd. Granted, that's not the only socializing I do, but in the summer especially I bike or walk 99% of the time.

Just move to Europe. /s

But seriously, it's crazy to think that people can't afford to go out because of transportation costs. When I was in my 20 I would just walk to the city center or take a tram, drink $1 beers and go back home in a bus. Now I take $2 train. It's so sad that Americans built their shitty system on purpose.

This is why trains are awesome.

There’s places to live where you don’t have to drive. Your attitude suggests that will not happen where you live within your lifetime.

I’m not sure if you have the ability to move, but it could cut down on transportation costs for going out. It would probably save money on daily commutes as well.

You can save money on food if you steal it and save money on alcohol if you steal it and drink somewhere you're not allowed to be instead of a bar and have a designated driver or use a bustrain which is just lots of busses hitched together but usually only like two anyway maybe learn something from queer culture this is why the second half of being gay is doing crimes it just seems like all your socializing is investing in conspicuous consumption stuff and you can just not 9r even get together with your friends to like build stuff or whatever I promise there's options

You could just go to the park or some other free venue

The issue is getting others to do the same